Page 119 of Truck Stop Titan

No further explanation necessary. The reassurance in Moriah’s eyes, her nod of encouragement, told me she understood I’d been the one to torch the place, that the act was cathartic and vital.

“Why are we here?” she asked, sliding her hands into her back pockets, settling her shoulders.

“Trails. Excellent for hiking, but even better for riding.” We started toward the wooded patch of land beyond the trailer. “Soon as Mim gets better on her bike, we can have some fun out here. It’s where I learned to ride.”

“Yesssss,” came from over my head.

Moriah huffed. “Damn motorcycles. You’re giving me gray hairs, you know that, right?”

Mim laughed.

I did, too.

Moriah protested often, though she’d never ask Mim to give up riding. That little girl had blossomed on her bike, the positive effects undeniable.

When we reached my favorite trail, I hoisted Mim off my shoulders. She took off running the second her feet hit the ground.

Moriah and I followed at a leisurely pace. “I’m trying to decide if I want to sell the land, or maybe build a small cabin. Wanted your input.”

“It’s beautiful here, Dane. So quiet and secluded.”

Moriah saw the beauty in everything. Even a lowlife criminal like me. Fucking blew me away, seeing the world through her eyes.

“Lot of shit went down here. Shit I’d rather forget. But for some reason, I’m struggling with letting go.”

Turning to face me, my lady slid her arms around my waist, pressed those tits to my chest, and lifted her chin. “Maybe we can make new memories here. Happy ones.”

We. I loved the sound of that. “Yeah.” I nodded, lost in that hopeful gaze, that assuring smile.

Hand in hand, we explored, until we reached the crest of the largest hill. I grabbed Moriah’s shoulders and turned her toward the lake, pointing over her shoulder. “See that?”

Moriah bent and tilted her head, searching through the thick of trees. “Is that the mansion?”

“Sure is.” From that spot, if you looked right, the mansion was visible across the lake. “As a kid, I used to come here to get away from my father. At that time, the house was vacant. Run-down, yard overgrown. But I used to stare across the lake and pretend I lived in that big old dusty house, with a mom and dad who cared about me.”

“Oh, Dane,” she whispered, leaning against me, a comfort I would never take for granted.

Pity was the last thing I wanted. I’d brought her to that spot for another reason.

“Here’s the thing,” I mumbled into her hair. “Wherever you are, I’ll go. I need to be with my girls. But that mansion is fucking huge. Lettie can’t take care of the place on her own. I found something I’m good at, ya know? I want to be there for her, for the cause, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere.”

“I understand.”

“I’ve talked to Lettie. There’s room for all of us. You, me, Mim. She wants you there as much as I do.”

Moriah spun in my arms, taking a step back. “Move into the mansion?”

“Yeah.”

“Dane. That’s a big step.”

“Far as I’m concerned, it’s the only step.” I rubbed a thumb across that unnecessary wrinkle between her brows, then dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Plus, when I go on a run with Tuck and Tito, you and Lettie won’t be alone.”

With a sigh, she relaxed, tucking her fingers into my waistband, and pulling me closer. “You’re in this for the long haul, huh?”

“I’m not going anywhere, gorgeous.”

“What about the girls you bring back? How will we explain them to Mim?”

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